Speaker makes strong pitch for united action against terror

New Delhi, Jul 11: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Sunday, Jul 10 made a strong pitch for united action against terrorism as she met her Pakistan counterpart Fehmida Mirza here.

Kumar also favoured greater Parliamentary exchanges with Pakistan and hoped that the India-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group would be a platform for sharing each others' experiences and ideas on areas of common interest.

She also called for united action against the scourge of terrorism, a Lok Sabha Secretariat statement said. Mirza, the Speaker the National Assembly of Pakistan, said that all contentious issues between the two nations should be resolved through dialogue.

She also invited to visit Pakistan to attend the Women Speakers Conference scheduled to be held in November 2011.

Kumar also held separate discussions with Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan Jogme Tshultim, Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga of Afghanistan Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi and Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament Chamal Rajapakse.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians today decided to form a Group of Women Parliamentarians comprising women delegates attending the meeting.

The conference deliberated on two issues -- ''Consolidating Democracy: Strengthening Trust Between Parliament of the People'' and ''Sustainable Development in SAARC Countries: The Way Forward''.